Marilyn Simpson, MSN/Ed, RN

West Texas VA Health Care System, Abilene, TX

NOVA Chapter 380

All of us have schedules and deadlines, either imposed upon us or are self-imposed. Let us review a few things that we are learning in Mindful Awareness classes.

• Do you skip family gatherings because they will understand how stressed you are?

• Have you postponed your favorite hobby because something had to give?

• How do you handle the pressure of knowing the buck stops with you?

• Does your blood pressure creep up by the end of the day because there is not enough time to get everything completed?

• Do you not take your paid time off because you believe no one in your department will do the work to your expectations?

• How are you sleeping?

• Do your friends and family complain you are grumpy a lot of the time?

• What would your neighbors say about your attitude lately?

• Do you ever completely fast from social media or screen time at home?

• Does your laptop live in the bag you keep with you at all times?

• If you had the choice, would you treat people differently?

I encourage you to take a deep breath. Right now, push back your chair. Breathe in deep and hold it. Give yourself a full two minutes to decompress, yes, right there where you are reading. Ask yourself if all the deadlines and striving with the clock are worth the cost, and allow yourself to answer truthfully. Now make appropriate changes PRN.